Brake Rotors. Resurface or New?

[Baby Grand]

I work in a Toyota Dealership. We resurface brake rotors all the time. We do them on the car with a special rotor cutter.
What happens a lot the rotors warp and cause the brakes to pulsate. By cutting them on the car the rotor now match's the rotor mounting plate and you have no chance of rotor pulsate.
I do agree that you can buy rotors and pads aftermarket for less than a dealer. Then do it your self. It's not a hard job but you do need the right tools.
Remember to put a anti-squeal pad or past on the back of the pad. 99% of all brake squeal is cause by the brake pad back rubbing on the brake bracket. You will see the shiny marks on the brake holder when you take it apart.

Like all jobs if you don't feel comfortable have a pro do the work for you.

Mystery solved - I think the shops that I used were "sending the rotors out" for resurfacing, rather than turning them while bolted to the hubs of the vehicle.

 

[Jstpssng]

I've found that the pads last longer if I buy new rotors... it also saves time because I can do the entire job without running the rotors 45 miles to the nearest shop to get them turned.

 

[ray66v]

Nearly everyone sells lifetime rotors now. I figure if they are dumb enough to offer that deal, I will accept.

I only buy good quality rotors. The Chinese ones are made from poor quality steel. In Ohio, they can literally rust away.

When the rotors are not bad, (no bad scoring, or pedal pulsation), and you just want change try and changes the pads without turning the rotors, buying the real cheap pads, increases the odds of success.

 

[rtimgray]

I always do my own brake work (again - for the most part, it's really pretty easy) and I have never had rotors turned. I've had to replace a few that were damaged or too worn, but I've always just bought new ones because they are so cheap. I just had to replace a caliper on my "new" 2000 S-10 truck that was sticking, so I replaced the pads on both sides and discovered that the other side had a broken caliper bracket. I ended up getting the caliper from RockAuto and everything else from AutoZone.

I think there are a couple of places here that turn rotors (well, they have the signs that say "We turn drums and rotors"), but I have no idea what it costs compared to buying new ones.

One of the reasons I don't take a vehicle for service like that is that, in my observations, it's the "low-man-on-the-totempole" is the one doing the brake jobs, because they are simple and mundane, so a shop doesn't tie up a $50/hour tech doing that when a $20/hour guy can do it. For things like a brake job, a cheap Chiltons or Haynes manual explains everything step-by-step and it's nice to do the work yourself so that you can inspect other items while you're doing it. To each, their own, though.

Good luck and take care.

 

[davesl708]

I would go with new rotors. Not worth the down time waiting on getting them turned. Replaced my SUV OEM brakes at 92k. Went to Advance Auto and got the mid-range pads and new rotors. Brakes are still good at 210k. Did same on my Subaru. Only 30k on the new brakes. No issues.

Cost difference between turned vs new is not worth the hassle of getting them turned and seeing if to much was removed and they warp.

 

[Coyote machine]

I work in a Toyota Dealership. We resurface brake rotors all the time. We do them on the car with a special rotor cutter.
What happens a lot the rotors warp and cause the brakes to pulsate. By cutting them on the car the rotor now match's the rotor mounting plate and you have no chance of rotor pulsate.
I do agree that you can buy rotors and pads aftermarket for less than a dealer. Then do it your self. It's not a hard job but you do need the right tools.
Remember to put a anti-squeal pad or past on the back of the pad. 99% of all brake squeal is cause by the brake pad back rubbing on the brake bracket. You will see the shiny marks on the brake holder when you take it apart.
Like all jobs if you don't feel comfortable have a pro do the work for you.

I will modify what I said earlier, Yes shops, especially dealerships CAN and sometimes do resurface rotors on a car/truck, BUT is it really worth it? As you stated, a lot of the rotors warp, and then cause pulsation. This is exactly why I stopped sending rotors out to be turned when I had my shop, which I closed in 1986. Too many came back from the machine shop and warped soon after being turned. This is still the case with doing them on the car, because there is still less meat on the rotor, and for the price of new rotors vs. turning them on the car, the 'savings' just isn't there. IMHO.
If one has a 2 or three year old car, maybe it is cost effective, but on something 10+ years old go to an independent ASE mechanic and get new rotors/pads all at once.

Something else to note is that how one drives, where they live, salt used on the roads or not, etc. makes a big difference. So does how one uses their brakes. If the brake lights are on all the way down the steep hill, see if your mechanic has a multiple brake job discount card.

Lifetime rotors?! Like the old JC Penny lifetime battery. Man did I milk that cow!:thumbsup::laughing:

 

[kenmac]

I always replace rotors with new... Back in the day ,I had them re surfaced...It no longer pays to have them re surfaced

 

[Egon]

There was a time I did my own "brake jobs". However the technology advanced and left me in the dust. Vehicle specific brake oil, electronic sensors, ABS, traction control are some of what's changing and if one is not up with the technology one stay hands off.

Also, watching the fellow trying to get my truck disks off made me realize he could swing a hammer much better than I. Pardon me, Sledge.

 

[KubotaToy]

$10 bucks locally to turn rotors, but I turn my own ( leftover equipment from my dads NAPA shop). I usually mic the thickness and check runout with every pad change, turn if needed. I am the only one that touches my brakes as I trust my skills against what see in the shops nowadays.

I had the brakes worked at the Ford dealer on my F350, I always wear old clothes when I pick up my vehicles as I will get on the ground and crawl under to verify work. Found two caliper bracket bolts missing, after speaking with the manager about safety concerns they ate the bill but said they could no longer work on my truck to which I told him he was correct.

 

[CalG]

Rotors warping after turning? or is it something else?
What Causes Brake Pulsation? | Power Stop

I can usually see the brake pad pattern on the rotors that "have warped". I've never been able to see the "warping" in a test indicator when setting up on the lathe though.

Brakes are a problem here where the winters are salty. It seems that the calipers bind up and then drag. Constantly requiring attention.
Almost as bad as mufflers ;-)